Road roller

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a road roller ( 10 ) comprising a chassis frame ( 22 ), an encapsulated engine ( 15 ) and a radiator ( 34 ) through which cooling air flows. For a supply of fresh cooling air free of dust a hood ( 16 ) covering the engine ( 15 ) and a separate housing ( 17 ) accommodating the radiator ( 34 ) are provided. The hood ( 16 ) comprises an air intake ( 24 ) as well as air outlet openings ( 35 ) and is air communicatingly connected to the housing ( 17 ).

The present invention relates to a road roller comprising a chassisframe, an encapsulated engine and a radiator through which cooling airflows.

Such road rollers are known, they being put to use more particularly onroad construction sites. The radiator serves to cool the engine as wellas a hydraulic system usually installed. In known road rollers thecooling air is drawn in from the side, from the front and/or fromunderneath, guided through the radiator and finally exhausted. Forcirculating the air a fan is normally employed which is fitted to theradiator.

It is often the case on known road rollers that the cooling air drawninto the system is dirty and dust-laden, the probability of thisespecially on construction sites being relatively high. The dustcontained in the cooling air forms deposits in the engine compartmentand radiator, resulting in the engine compartment being unecessarilysoiled whilst simultaneously detrimenting the cooling effect of theradiator. In addition, difficulties may be experienced in servicing thehydraulic assemblies, due to this soilage, since contamination of thehydraulic fluid with dust needs to be avoided.

The present invention has thus the object of providing a supply of freshair for cooling free of dust on such a road roller.

In accordance with the invention this object is achieved in a roadroller of the aforementioned kind in that for guiding the cooling air ahood covering the engine incorporating an air intake and air outletopenings and a separate housing accommodating the radiator are provided,the hood and the housing being air-communicatingly connected.

Guiding the air in this way permits defined intake and exhaust of thecooling air. The cooling air is drawn in through the air intake of thehood only from above, i.e. from the substantially dust-free air abovethe road roller with no intake from underneath or from the side. Thecooling air is then directed through the housing past the radiator backinto the hood and exhausted through the air outlet openings of the hood,preferably in the direction of underside of the road roller, i.e. remotefrom the air intake to thus avoid a recirculation of the cooling air.

It is this air guiding system in accordance with the invention whichconsiderably reduces soilage of the engine compartment and radiator, thecooling effect of which now remains substantially unchanged over lengthyperiods. At the same time servicing the hydraulic assemblies isfacilitated since the engine compartment remains substantially free ofdust.

Advantageous further embodiments and aspects of the invention read fromthe sub-claims.

Preferably the hood comprises a fitting with an air intake in anair-flow connection via an opening with the housing accommodating theradiator. The fitting is closed off air-tight relative to the enginecompartment covered by the hood. It is this design that ensures that thecooling air drawn into the system is not guided undirected through thehood, but instead from the fitting of the hood into the housing andsubsequently to the radiator so that the complete air mass flow drawninto the system is thus made use of for cooling.

The hood comprises preferably an intake opening for the cooling airwhich is assigned an exhaust opening in the housing. The cooling air isdrawn in from the environment into the fitting on the hood. From thefitting the cooling air gains access through an opening to the housingwhere it is deflected to flow through the radiator, before then passingthrough the exhaust opening of the housing and the intake opening backinto the hood. The cooling air is thus drawn in, directed through andexhausted from the system all by defined porting.

In one advantageous aspect sidewalls are provided on the chassis framebeneath the hood for guiding the cooling air, the height of thesesidewalls being less than that of the hood. Downstream of the radiatorthe cooling air flow is parted by the sidewalls within the hood. Part ofthe cooling air is immediately exhausted whilst another part continuesto be guided between the sidewalls before being later exhausted. Thecooling air gains access through the interspace between sidewalls andhood to the air outlet openings. It is this design that enhances thecooling effect. At the same time the encapsulation of the engine by thehood, housing and sidewalls achieves a reduction in the noise level.

Advantageously the hood comprises sideplates ported for cooling airexit, these ports providing defined air outlet openings for the coolingair. Any undesirable circulation of the cooling air, remaining in theengine compartment or exit at an undesirable location, especially in thevicinity of the air intake is reliably prevented.

Preferably the sidewalls are arranged spaced away from the sideplatesand cover the outlet openings of the sideplates. The engine isencapsulated by the sidewalls to thus achieve a reduction in the noiselevel. The sidewalls also protect the engine from any dirt and dustentering the ports.

In another advantageous aspect the sidewalls extend from the radiator upto the end of the hood, as a result of which the complete enginecompartment is laterally encapsulated by the sidewalls to furtherenhance a reduction in the noise level. At the same time any ingress ofswirling dust-laden air into the engine compartment is again at leastmade difficult by the sidewalls.

Preferably the height of the sidewalls diminishes as of the radiator,they being configured roughly trapezoidal and laterally cover the portsin the sideplates of the hood to thus reliably protect the enginecompartment from soilage. Diminishing the height of the sidewallspermits gaining access to the engine, when the hood is hinged up out ofthe way to faciliate maintenance work.

Advantageously the air intake comprises slots machined in the fitting ofthe hood which are speedy and cost-effective to produce. As analternative a grille may be made use of.

In accordance with yet another further embodiment of the invention thehood is swivel-mounted on a chassis frame of the road roller. Thehousing accommodating the radiator is rigidly secured to this chassisframe. For maintenance work the hood may be hinged out of the way sothat good access to the engine, radiator and hydraulic assemblies isassured. On completion of the maintenance work the hood is reclosed, theair guidance system in accordance with the invention then beinginstantly ready for operation without any further manipulation.

The invention will now be detained by way of an example embodimentillustrated schematically in the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a road roller incorporating the air guidancesystem in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view in principle of the air guidance system inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section through the air guidance system inaccordance with the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line IV—IV as shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a road roller 10 includingtwo driven wheels 11 as well as a cab 12. The road roller 10 comprisesan outrigger 13 to which a roller 14 is rotatively secured. For thedrive an engine 15 is provided which is covered by a hood 16. Arrangedbetween the hood 16 and the cab 12 is a housing 17. The hood 16comprises a shell 18 surrounding an exhaust (not shown) of the engine15, and Hood 16 can be hinged open in the direction of the arrow 19 andclosed in the opposite direction to thus faciliate servicing the engine15.

The cooling air is drawn into the system from above in the direction ofthe arrows 20 and exhausted downwards in the region of the wheels 11 inthe direction of the arrows. 21. Air intake is thus in a substantiallydust-free region whilst air exhaust is in a dust-laden region remotefrom the intake.

Referring now to FIG. 2 there is illustrated in principle the hood 16 aswell as the housing 17 together with a chassis frame 22 of the roadroller 10. The hood 16 is mounted hinged to the chassis frame 22 in thedirection of the arrow 19 whilst the housing 17 is secured immovably tothe chassis frame 22. The hood 16 is provided with a fitting 23incorporating an air intake 24, the hood 16 comprising sideplates 25, acover plate 26 as well as an end plate 27. The sideplates 25 areprovided with ports 35 for exit of the cooling air.

The housing 17 comprises two sideplates 28 as well as a cover plate 29and is provided in the direction of the hood 16 with a front plate 30.This front plate 30 comprises an opening 32 which is sized to adapt tothe fitting 23 of the hood 16. The front plate 30 does not extend overthe full height of the housing 17, it instead ending just below thecover plate 26 of the hood 16. The housing 17 comprises below the frontplate 30 an outlet port 38 which is aligned with an intake port 37 ofthe hood 16.

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is illustrated how in the direction of thecab 12 the housing 17 is closed off by a backplate 31. Accommodated inthe housing 17 is a radiator 34.

Fitted below the hood 16 on the chassis frame 22 are two sidewalls 33spaced away from the sideplates 25. These sidewalls 33 are configuredsuch that they cover the ports 35 in the sideplates 25 of the hood 16.The engine 15 is encapsulated by the sidewalls 33 and the hood 16 and isthus protected from soilage. At the same time this reduces the noiselevel.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 further design details and thefunctioning of the air guidance system will now be detailled.

The radiator 34 extends roughly up to the level of the hood 16. Thesidewalls 33 run from the radiator 34 up to the end of the hood 16, theythereby having a diminishing height and are configured so that theycover the ports 35 in the sideplates 25 of the hood 16.

At the same time a communicating passage for the cooling air is createdbetween the upper edge of the sidewalls 33 and the cover plate 26 of thehood 16.

As an alternative the sidewalls 33 may be configured somewhat shorter sothat they cover roughly two-thirds of the spacing of the radiator 34from the end of the hood 16. In this configuration the ports 35 in thesideplates 25 of the hood 16 are still covered by the sidewalls 33.

The fitting 23 is open at its end facing the housing 17. The opening 32in the front plate 30 of the housing 17 is sized to adapt to the fitting23 so that the housing 17 and the fitting 23 are connected circulatingthe air and substantially air-tight. On one side of the fitting 23 thehousing 17 is closed off by the front plate 30. The fitting 23 is closedoff air-tight relative to the engine compartment and comprises an airintake 24 of several slots 36.

The cooling air is drawn into the system through the slots 36 in thedirection of the arrows 20 by a fan blading not shown secured to theradiator 34, it flowing through the fitting 23 of the hood 16 andentering through the opening 32 into the housing 17. Here, it isdeflected by the backplate 31 to flow through the radiator 34 and toreenter the hood 16 through the outlet port 38 and the intake port 37.After this, part of the cooling air is exhausted immediately in thedirection of the arrow 21 through the ports 35 in the sideplates 25 ofthe hood 16. Another part flows along the engine 15 to produceadditional cooling. This portion of the cooling air gains access throughthe interspace between the upper edge of the sidewalls 33 and the hood16 to the ports 35 and is likewise exhausted in the direction of thearrow 21.

Referring now to FIG. 4 there is illustrated the hood 16 and the housing17 the same in width to thus achieve a pleasing appearance overall. Atthe same time the space available between the wheels 10 is made full useof, the radiator 34 in this arrangement extending over the full width ofthe housing 17 so that a large cooling surface area is made available.

The invention ensures on road rollers the intake of clean, fresh coolingair free of dust. Soilage of the engine compartment is reduced andservicing the hydraulic assemblies faciliated. At the same time theencapsulation of the engine results in a reduction in the noise level.

What is claimed is:
 1. A road roller comprising: a chassis frame; anencapsulated engine; wheels driven by said engine; a radiator throughwhich cooling air flows; a hood being air communicatingly connected withsaid radiator and covering said engine and guiding said cooling air; anda housing separated from said hood and accommodating said radiator;wherein said hood comprises a fitting having an air intake for drawingin said cooling air from above, said fitting being closed off air-tightrelative to an engine compartment of said hood and in an air-flowconnection with said housing; wherein said housing has a backplate whichdeflects said cooling air flowing through said fitting and entering saidhousing to flow through said radiator and to enter said enginecompartment of said hood; and wherein said hood further comprisessideplates which are provided with an air outlet for exit of saidcooling air entering said hood downwards in the region of said wheels.2. The road roller as set forth in claim 1, in which said fitting isopen at an end thereof facing said housing, wherein said housingcomprises a front plate, which has an opening sized to adapt to saidfitting so that said housing and said fitting are connected circulatingsaid cooling air and substantially air-tight.
 3. The road roller as setforth in claim 2, in which said housing comprises below said front platean outlet port aligned with an intake port of said hood to enable saidcooling air to enter said hood.
 4. The road roller as set forth in claim1, in which said chassis frame is provided with sidewalls beneath saidhood guiding said cooling air, said sidewalls being arranged spaced awayfrom said sideplates of said hood and having a height which is less thanthat of said sideplates of said hood, wherein said engine isencapsulated by said sidewalls and said hood.
 5. The road roller as setforth in claim 4, in which said sideplates are provided with portsdefining said air outlet.
 6. The road roller as set forth in claim 5, inwhich said sidewalls cover said ports in said sideplates.
 7. The roadroller as set forth in claim 4, in which said sidewalls extend from saidradiator up to the end of said hood.
 8. The road roller as set forth inclaim 4, in which the height of said sidewalls diminishes as of saidradiator.
 9. The road roller as set forth in claim 1, in which saidfitting comprises several slots defining said air intake.
 10. The roadroller as set forth in claim 1, in which said hood is swivel-mounted onsaid chassis frame.